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The pressure to being a comedian is being funny, but I've given that up, so there is no pressure whatsoever.

Being a funny person does an awful lot of things to you. You feel that you mustn't get serious with people. They don't expect it from you, and they don't want to see it. You're not entitled to be serious, you're a clown.

People want me to be funny all the time. They think I'm being funny no matter what I say or do and that's not the case.

People often can't separate, or can't understand, that to be funny is to be serious; it's a way of pulling people in and not scaring them off. I think a lot of the funny stuff, underneath it, there's a deep anxiety going on.

Some actors try to play parts and do things they can't do. Being funny is one of them. Being funny's hard.

In order for comedy to be funny you have to play the truth of the moment. But if you're not being completely truthful to the basis of the character, its not going to be funny.

I do think there are some actors that can get away with trying to be funny, and they're still funny because they're just likeable, and you want to see them. Me, though, when you see me trying to be funny, it's like the worst thing in the world. It's needy, it's cloying, it's manipulative - it's bad.

I think what is important for things to be funny is if you the listener, or the reader, get a chance to supply the humor of it yourself.

You can't be funny for funny's sake. You try to get as outrageous situation as you can but it always has to be believable and based in real character motivations and what people would really do.

Comedy is not funny. Comedy is hard work and timing and lots and lots of rehearsals.